Not everyone comes to Mayapur or Vrindavana to practice spiritual life. Many come after money or other material things. One may become shocked or sad to see materialists pursuing their activities in the holy dhama, but the fact is that such materialists are also engaged in Krsna’s service, although indirectly. Actually, it’s like that all over the creation. How does it work?

The point is that such materialistic people in the course of their material activities produce things that are useful for Vaishnavas, and in this way, they accumulate ajnata sukriti. One may plant flowers and make garlands for money, but if devotees buy these garlands and offer them to Krsna, he benefits. Similarly, a materialistic person can come to Mayapur and Vrindavana to build apartments and perform a good volume of dishonest activities in the process, but if later the apartments are used by devotees engaged in service, still they benefit from it.

Actually, Vaishnavas are the only reason this material world exists, and all materialists serve the Vaishnavas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains how it works in his Jaiva Dharma:

“Advaita dāsa said, “Inclination arises from impressions generated by previous karma. The deeper one’s relationship with matter, one becomes skillful at material knowledge and crafts arising from material knowledge. What they produce is useful for the Vaiṣṇava. The Vaiṣṇava does not need to endeavor for these things. A carpenter makes an altar to earn his living. A householder devotee can establish a deity on that altar. According to their inclination, bees collect honey. Devotees take the honey for the Lord’s service. Not everyone endeavors for spiritual goals in this world. People act according to their inclinations. Humans have a variety of inclinations, higher and lower. Low people do many activities by their lower inclination. All these actions help work done with higher inclination. The wheel of the world rotates by these divisions. There are many peoples with a variety of material inclinations and they worship according to their material inclination. These actions assist the spiritual inclination of the Vaiṣṇavas. They do not know that by their actions they are helping the Vaiṣṇavas. But deluded by Viṣṇu’s māyā, they do their activities. The whole world is the unknowing servant of the Vaiṣṇavas.”

When it takes such passages into mind it becomes easier to understand why people with a less than transcendental consciousness can be found in holy places. Although they have ulterior motives or different material contaminations, somehow or other they get the desire of taking shelter in the holy dhama, and thus, by receiving the association of pure Vaishnavas and producing things that may be used by them in their service such people benefit. Gradually they accumulate sukrit that eventually will give fruits, allowing them to eventually also become Vaishnavas.

This same principle applies to people who join our spiritual society with ulterior motives, like obtaining some social position or getting money. This is a normal occurrence that is probably unavoidable since Krsna uses its materialist propensities to get things done. The main problem is probably that we fail to recognize the true spiritual level of such persons and thus create situations where they can create harm.

In this Jaiva Dharma, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes the stories of several souls in different stages of spiritual evolution that come in contact with pure Vaishnavas. Some of these souls are quite deep in ignorance, and a few are even offensive in their behavior. However, by coming in contact with Vaishnavas they all benefit. It’s implied in the book that all these souls will go back to Godhead, although for some it may take numerous lives. In any case, however, the association with pure devotees is a turning point in their journey.